Issues With Processing Hail Damage In The PDR Business (Part One)

Last November at the Collision Industry Conference, a panel consisting of PDR companies, insurers, and shops discussed the problems with processing hail damage in the PDR business. In the discussion, their goal was to reduce the headaches and tension around catastrophe claims after major storms.

According to Autobody News’, John Yoswick, Matthew McDonnell of Big Sky Collision in Montana, discussed some of the problems involving “cat team” claims managed by PDR shops. For example, in 2011, Montana had a law put in place that prevents insurers from “unilaterally disregarding a repair operation or cost identified by an estimating system.” However, he further claimed that not all “cat team” claims handlers are aware of the above information.

McDonnell said, “We had to go through that PDR company for a supplement. We sent it to them, and they took off a significant amount.” The PDR company then said “We have an agreement with the insurer involved and you don’t get paid for those things.” McDonnell continued, stating he had to call them and say “we have a different regulation in Montana. You cannot disregard repair operations, and I just want to let you know you’re inconsistent with Montana law.” The PDR responded with “Oh, I don’t have to follow Montana law.”

However, McDonnell said that while some states can waive licensing qualifications for adjusters who come in from out of state for “cat clams,” they don’t waive the requirement to follow state laws. He continued on and suggested that shops need to understand their state laws and what they require from those who come out to help temporarily with catastrophe claims.

“Our insurance commissioner’s office wants them to register with the state. So they will now follow Montana regulations. It’s $100 to register. It’s not like it’s a big thing. But it’s the fact that we’re all playing by the rules. That’s a big deal to me.” McDonnell said.